Doctor Who: Father Christmas
by GingerIsTheCat
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and surprise has been left on The Doctor's front stoop. This was bound to happen eventually. Update: Yes, I have big plans for this storyline. Just give me time. I recently received permission from the artist of this drawing, which inspired me to write this, to use it as my cover photo.
1. Chapter 1

This was their last Christmas together. That thought resonated in the Doctor's head. The idea made him scintillate between fazed and tormented as he tried to wrap his head around it. They'd managed to stretch their married life out much longer than expected, thanks to a loophole which River had pointed out - They had to spend 24 years on the planet, but not necessarily all at once. So they left, and came back once every year- their time- to spend a day of that long, long Christmas. Oh, how he would miss her. The feeling of bewilderment and sorrow coalesced suddenly into a black hole of despair and he felt the full weight of it as it crashed down on him. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor of the TARDIS. He had never stayed that long with anyone before. This wasn't right. He couldn't handle it. He should never have let River talk him into stretching out their time, but then she would have inevitably snuck off in the TARDIS without him. She was never happy knowingly contained. He pulled himself up and saw that he had traveled some distance.

He was back. He'd come back out of sheer habit to the place they'd returned every year, like a pair of Lovebirds - or a retired couple going to Florida. But this time there was no point in going out. He looked about the empty TARDIS- it was dark, it looked like it had been lived in, River's winter coat still lay gently folded on the chair,- And couldn't bring himself to reset the controls. He painfully opened the door and gazed out at the freshly fallen snow. He closed his eyes and felt the sharp air whip at his face like razor blades. For a moment he forgot. He imagined a place void of meaning, empty of pain. This was his paradise. Nothing to irk him, no one to leave him, and nothing to break the silence. Suddenly, he heard a soft noise and gazed down. It was a baby bundled on his doorstep.

She had River's eyes. She had his eyebrows. No, River no! He cried as he fell into the snow. River! You can't do this to me, he implored at the sky. Suddenly, he slowly looked down and found himself next to the Timelord tot. She smiled at him. He smiled back. She began to cry. "No no no no! No Kyra…. Yes, that's it. I'll name you after my mother, Kyratrinopia. Please Kyra, don't cry. I'm ready to cry myself. And if we're both crying, then who will fly the TARDIS?" he said as he cocked his head at her and smiled. "I would sing you a Gallifreyan Lullaby, if I could remember any. But the truth is, Kyra, that when you live for hundreds and thousands of years, lullabies are the last thing on your mind. It's mostly the faces of the people who sing them who you try to remember". She peered up at him. "Where did your mother go, eh?" "Why didn't she mention you before she left". It's not like you're a bag of groceries, that she can just drop off on the doorstep". Something must be wrong, he thought. Suddenly realizing that he was squatting next to a baby in a basket in below zero weather, he gently picked the basket up and carried her into the Tardis.

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	2. Chapter 2

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"No, no. Please, stay still Kyra. I just want to scan you." the Doctor said. Kyra giggled as she grabbed at the sonic screwdriver he was passing over her and tried to pull it into her mouth. The Doctor got closer. "Kyra please" he pleaded. He was now just close enough for her to grab a handful of his hair and yank. "Ow! That really hurt. Boy you have a strong grip. I see you take after your mother. Fine then, I'll use the Tardis scanner" At this moment Bill walked into the room, and her mouth gaped at the scene.

Doctor, where did that baby come from? she asked in confusion.

"Ah, her. It's complicated. I'll explain later." the Doctor said trying to brush it off, unsure how to explain the strange scene.

Bill's eyes widened in surprise. "Did you steal a baby? " she asked incredulously.

"What? No! No, of course not. Why would you think that?" the Doctor replied in innocent perplexment.

"I don't know you very well. You might be a baby knapper for all I know.", Bill said matter-of-factly and shrugging. Nothing threw her off balance for long. "Where did she come from then?" she asked.

"She's my daughter."

"With who?"

"Someone you haven't met yet, so any names would be meaningless to you, but suffice it to say my wife, obviously." the Doctor said somewhat grumpily.

"You're married? Where is she then?"

The Doctor flinched at this, making him act all the grumpier. "I don't know. She might be dead, for all I know. But I'm sure going to find out. She can't go leaving our children on the front stoop like this."

Bill was a hitchhiker he had picked up in a frenzy just after River left. His wife knew how hard it would be for him, and had pleaded for him to make sure he wasn't alone when the time came. Up until now Bill had been hiding somewhere in the Tardis, unsure of this strange man who had offered her a lift out of a sticky situation. From the looks of it she had been right in doing so; it looked like a tornado had blown through the room.

"She's cute. What's her name? " she said walking towards the two.

"Kyra."

"Are you going to get a baby knapsack to carry her in?"

"A what?"

"A knapsack on your back. You'd strap it on and carry her in it."

He looked down at the squirmy baby, and realized just how hard it would be to jump over pools of lava or climb cliffs with her wriggling for freedom in his arms, pulling his hair, and spitting up on his favorite coat, all while they were being pursued by some sort of monster. "Actually, that may may not be a bad idea. Do you have any idea where I might find one of these?"

"At a baby shop, I suppose."

"Nevermind, I think I have an idea. " He left for a moment and then emerged with a makeshift baby carrier made from a travel bag with two large holes cut in the bottom

"Are you sure that's safe?"

The Doctor looked down at Kyra, and realized that it wasn't safe enough. "No, you're right. She's so fragile. I'll go look in the storeroom" he ran off harried that he had ever thought to stuff his poor daughter in that.

He soon came back with an actual baby carrier, which Amy and Rory had left behind. "Here Kyra, this was to be for your mother, but we all know she would have hated it anyway."

Kyra looked at him puzzled, and then stuck her tongue out a bit and gurgled happily.

"Good. I'm glad you like it." the Doctor replied.

How are you going to get her in? Bill asked.

What do you mean? I'll just lift her in. The Doctor said with a unworried air.

You haven't been around many babies, have you? Bill said knowingly.

"Not for a while, no. Here, I'll strap it on, and you lift her in. " the Doctor said putting it on his back and turning around expectantly.

"Ok, here goes" Bill said carefully picking up the wriggling infant and trying to lower her kicking feet in. Still, Kyra was surprisingly amiable about the whole thing, and she looked around curiously at the new view for a moment, before grabbing her father's ears from behind. She could reach them now. The Doctor patiently tolerated this. A silly manic grin appeared on his face and he began to happily try gently trotting around with her on his back. Kyra giggled and grabbed at his hair as he made low horse noises.

Bill joined in giggling and bounding around the room with her curly hair bouncing around her. They finally settled down laughing in the Tardis console chairs. As he strained to catch his breath, he thought of how long it had been since he'd had this much fun.

"That's enough for now" Bill said still laughing as she lifted Kyra out of her carrier and handed her to the Doctor.


End file.
